Improving Products Through Procurement

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Improving Products Through Procurement
Prepared for EPA Region 2 Science Day
Non-Regulated Pollutants -Brominated Flame
Retardants (BFRs) Pharmaceuticals Approaches
to Emerging Chemicals Issues Workshop 25 October
2005

• Cameron S. Lory
• Senior Associate
• CHP Program Coordinator
• lory_at_informinc.org
• 212.361.2400 x232
• INFORM, Inc.

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• 30-year-old, national, non-profit environmental
  research and outreach organization
• Key research areas
• Chemical Hazards Prevention
• Solid Waste Reduction
• Sustainable Transportation
• INFORM works with government agencies, schools
  and businesses to facilitate business practices
  that are environmentally preferable

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Environmentally Preferable Purchasing

• Environmentally preferable products are goods
  and services that have a lesser or reduced effect
  on human health and the environment when compared
  with other products that serve the same purpose.
• - Federal Executive Order 13101

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Signal to Manufacturers

• Large government agencies are considering
  environmental and human health in their
  purchasing decisions.
• Environmentally preferable joined price,
  availability, and efficacy as purchasing
  criterion.

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Maybe Lead Paint Wasnt Such a Great Idea

• Consumers began to become aware of the dangers of
  some products in the 1970s.
• Spearheaded by movements to reduce exposure to
  lead from gasoline and paint.

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Other Products Followed

• Lighting manufacturers reduced the amount of
  mercury used in lighting by over 20 tons between
  1984 and 1997.
• Laws banning mercury-added devices are now common
  throughout the US.
• Communities are taking aim at everything from
  chlorinated plastics to air fresheners.

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Product Development

• Research and development for new products, and
  reformulation of products is slow and expensive.
• Purchasing agents spur innovation by creating a
  demand for better products.
• Manufacturers will spend research and development
  money only if they know it will pay off in the
  long run.

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What Can Purchaser Do Before EP Alternatives Are
Available?

• Purchasers can ask for disclosure of toxins in
  products.
• For BFRs, require the chemical abstracts service
  (CAS) number for added flame retardants.
• Add language that gives preference to products
  that do not contain BFRs even if no such
  product exists for the application.

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Sample RFP LanguageDisclosure

• (Purchasing Entity) is concerned about the
  increasing environmental problems caused by
  certain flame retardants.
• To make an informed purchasing decision, we
  require that bidders disclose all flame
  retardants used in products offered.

Healthcare Without Harm What Health Care
Purchasers Can Do to Reduce Flame Retardants
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Sample RFP LanguagePreference

• We will prefer products that meet retardancy
  standards without added flame retardants.
• We will prefer products that meet flame
  retardancy standards without halogenated organic
  flame retardants.

Healthcare Without Harm What Health Care
Purchasers Can Do to Reduce Flame Retardants
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Sample RFP LanguageEncouraging Better Design

• As more information on flame retardants becomes
  available, we will prefer products that contain
  flame retardants for which comprehensive toxicity
  data is available and demonstrates the flame
  retardant is not toxic, persistent or
  bioaccumulative.
• We understand that such preferred products may
  not yet be available.

Healthcare Without Harm What Health Care
Purchasers Can Do to Reduce Flame Retardants
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Share Information

• Let other interested organizations know what
  language you have added to specifications.
• Let others know what information you have
  gathered.

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INFORM Chemical Hazards Prevention

• Cameron S. Lory
• Senior Associate
• CHP Program Coordinator
• lory_at_informinc.org
• 212.361.2400 x232
• INFORM, Inc.